1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display panel and a liquid crystal display device which uses the liquid crystal display panel, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device which is operated in a vertical alignment mode (hereinafter referred to as a VA mode) in which liquid crystal molecules are aligned in the direction approximately perpendicular to a surface of a substrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal display devices have been popularly used as display devices for various information processing devices including personal computers, display devices for television receiver sets and the like. Among these liquid crystal display devices, a liquid crystal display device which uses a VA-mode liquid crystal display panel has been commercialized.
The VA-mode liquid crystal display panel uses liquid crystal having negative dielectric anisotropy and aligns the liquid crystal in the approximately vertical direction between a pair of substrates which constitutes the liquid crystal display panel.
In the VA-mode liquid crystal display panel, in a state where an electric field is not applied to the liquid crystal, liquid crystal molecules are aligned approximately perpendicular to a surface of a substrate. Accordingly, light which is incident on a liquid crystal layer is radiated without substantially changing a plane of polarization in the inside of the liquid crystal layer. In an electric-field non-applied state in which a pair of polarizers is arranged with transmission axes thereof crossing each other orthogonally (crossed Nicols) while sandwiching such a liquid crystal layer therebetween, the VA-mode liquid crystal display panel performs a black display corresponding to performances of the polarizers.
With respect to the VA-mode liquid crystal display device, as can be understood from JP-A-07-191313, for example, researches and developments are in progress to enhance the performance of such a liquid crystal display device.